The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources named Green Circle Recycling a 2024 Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Award winner in the Overall Program category for waste reduction and recycling work that went beyond Wisconsin's legal requirements.
A local program built around better material recovery.
In its November 15, 2024 announcement, the Wisconsin DNR highlighted the systems Green Circle uses to keep recyclable material moving through the La Crosse facility. Bypass belts and recirculating systems give material additional opportunities to be captured instead of passing through the process once.
The DNR also pointed to technology installed in 2023: an optical sorter and two advanced sorting robots. Separately, the agency reported that Green Circle increased its single-stream processing rate by 58% from 2022 to 2023.
- 58%
- increase in single-stream processing rate from 2022 to 2023
- 3
- advanced sorting additions installed in 2023: one optical sorter and two robots
Recycling performance starts before material reaches the line.
Sorting equipment is only one part of an effective recycling system. The DNR recognized Green Circle's educational outreach and community participation, including popular Touch a Truck events that help residents see the people and equipment behind local recycling services.
Clear guidance at home, at work and in community programs helps reduce contamination before a load reaches the material recovery facility. Once it arrives, Green Circle's optical, robotic, bypass and recirculating systems separate approved material into marketable commodity streams.
More opportunities to recover approved material.
Green Circle operates as a single-stream processing facility, receiving mixed approved recyclables that must be separated into individual commodity streams. The bypass belts and recirculating systems highlighted by the DNR give material additional opportunities for recovery instead of relying on a single pass through the sorting line.
The optical sorter and robotic equipment added in 2023 complement that recirculation by identifying targeted materials and directing them toward the appropriate stream. Together, these systems support Green Circle's commitment to minimizing landfill contributions while handling a diverse range of recyclable material.
Source and attribution
Award details and statewide figures are attributed to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Read the official November 15, 2024 DNR announcement (opens in a new tab) or explore the Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Awards program (opens in a new tab).